Hundreds of years ago, dental care was the last thing on people’s minds. After all, you had to eat in order to just survive. Furthermore, with a very simple diet with little to no sugar, most people’s teeth lasted their lifetime (which was less than half of what ours is today). Dental care was relegated to if you needed a tooth pulled because it got infected.
However, with our increased lifespan, it’s imperative that we keep good care of our teeth as we age. Jersey Shore Dentists at Century Dental in Jackson, Seaview Dental in Eatontown, or Seaview Dental Stafford in Manahawkin offer general dentistry services, cosmetic dentistry, and restorative dentistry, including dentures and dental implants. We understand how your mouth needs added care. In this blog post, we’ll continue our look at how to care for your teeth as you age. Contact our dentist’s office for your next preventive dental exam!
THE AGING OF YOUR TEETH
Increased Staining of Your Teeth
Due to years of your teeth being exposed to foods and/or substances that can stain your teeth (coffee, red wine, tobacco), your teeth will naturally have more of a yellowish tint to them over time. The dentin layer of your teeth can show through the enamel, which can thin and crack as you age. You can eat lots of fruits and vegetables that are nature’s natural toothbrushes. Furthermore, you can invest in teeth whitening toothpaste, which will temporarily lift some of the more superficial stains, but this is not a permanent solution.
Investing in teeth whitening services with Century Dental is an option as well. This cosmetic dental procedure lightens your teeth, making them whiter in appearance. It is the most popular cosmetic dental procedure since it’s easy to do, results are fantastic, and most people like whiter teeth since people see them all the time. Contact one of our two convenient locations for a teeth whitening consultation today!
Increased Risk of Dry Mouth
Dry mouth, clinically known as xerostomia, is where your salivary glands just don’t make enough saliva to moisten your mouth effectively. Most of the time, dry mouth is caused by certain medications, or even chemotherapy for certain types of cancer. However, dry mouth can also be an effect of aging.
The reason dry mouth is unwanted is because it can be harder to chew and digest your food because of it. Dry mouth can also increase the number of bacteria present in your mouth since saliva is not washing it down. Dry mouth can also contribute in part to gum disease, a decrease in your gum line, and even bad breath. It can take as little as three months for cavities to form when you have dry mouth.
For dry mouth, it’s prudent to drink more water. Chewing sugarless gum can help. Alcohol and caffeine, however, can dry out your mouth further.
Cavities
Many people think cavities are something you only get when you are young. However, you are always at risk for cavities since cavities are caused by bacteria that can be always present in your mouth. When you forget to brush your teeth (or choose not to) you are putting yourself at risk for an increase in cavities. Medications that also cause dry mouth can contribute to the formation of cavities since your mouth is drier than normal.
Decrease In Nerve Sensitivity
While some people might think this is a good thing since you don’t feel as much pain when you have a decrease in nerve sensitivity, it is your nerves that alert you to something being wrong. Hence, a problem such as a cavity, which might normally alert you with an increase in pain, but with less sensitivity, it won’t, exacerbating the problem to maybe you might instead need a root canal.
HOW CENTURY DENTAL CAN HELP YOUR TEETH AGE WELL
As the saying goes, it’s not that we won’t age, but that we want to age well. This includes your teeth. The Century Dental family offers expert and experienced dental care. Teeth wear down like the rest of your body does after a lifetime of crunching, chewing, grinding, and gnawing. The enamel can be worn away, which flattens the biting edges. Acidic drinks such as soda can weaken the enamel, which only leads to more serious dental problems.
Don’t delay. Contact our dentist office today for your next dental exam!
